Bloom
by bevesy
Summary: After all, this isn't a time where everyone had to hide their feelings anymore. This is a peaceful time, the right time for Izumi to thrive and enjoy life, as every child should do. I do not own the show.


**Bloom**

* * *

I

Izumi hates to be around when guests arrive.

But her grandmother seems a lot more talkative and hyper while her Aunt Kiyi looks like she is about to walk into her execution. Her father has the ever cool demeanor that noble women fawn over, but Izumi hates. Mother is still herself; lifeless, dull and currently out of the palace.

The hot afternoon sun toasted the back of her neck. Everything seems crisp along with the sharp light peering onto the gardens. Playing with her training ball, she notices three or four servants rushing back and forth in the open corridors. Plates of tea and food heaped on their trays, guards ambling like mad men across the gardens into the other quarters. When her nursemaid, Xifeng, spots her, she abandons her training ball and attempts to run.

But she's now stuck in her room with a hot comb steaming her hair while Xifeng's dark haired assistant, Lee, smiles into Izumi's face and says, "You look so beautiful, your majesty." Izumi grits her teeth at the memory of Xifeng shifting the ground to spoil Izumi's escape route.

"You're just trying to make me wear a dress again!"

"It's for your own good," Xifeng says.

Izumi scowls as her hair is tugged up into the traditional topknot. Her golden hair clip glitters under the sun in Xifeng's hands before it disappears over her head. She doesn't understand why she has to participate tonight. An itch prompts her to tap Xifeng's thighs. Izumi can almost imagine the mole over the top of Xifeng's lips lifting as she scowls. At the woman's grunt, she asks, "Who's coming tonight?"

"An old family member, that's who."

"Family member?"

"Yes. Your aunt."

Izumi can't help the tingly twinge in her chest and the way her lips break out into a smile. She jumps giddily into the regular clothing she wears, relieved that it's not a dress. She knows of her aunt, the one directly related to her father.

Don't mind her, she loves Aunt Kiyi, but meeting Aunt Azula gives her a strange surge of adrenaline. Izumi steps confidently to view her image in the full length mirror Xifeng sets up for her. Satisfied, she likes that her uniform has black and gold, suited for a true warrior, just like her Aunt Azula. She can't help looking thrice over, ignoring the tiny smiles Xifeng and Lee send her way.

"You look like a proper Fire princess," Xifeng says.

* * *

II

The corridors seem darker, as though she is entering a dark tunnel with the point of no return. Xifeng has informed her that Mother arrived and is waiting for her in a guestroom.

It doesn't take long for her mother to realize she is standing in the white schemed guestroom, which is a stark contrast to the main crimson theme of the palace. Izumi can feel her earlier excitement waning as her mother turns from the balcony.

Again, there is that distinction. The inability to look into the one who gave birth to her and feel the resemblance. Her mother smiles, but Izumi can tell that she doesn't really want to. It's not that her mother hates her. No. Izumi knows that her mother loves her very much. It's just that her mother does not like to smile too often. "Come here and let me take a look at you,"

Izumi walks over and lets her mother run a hand over her cheek. Mother looks regal in her royal attire, a myriad of ruby red and ivory embroidered with gold and turquois. Face as immaculate as the beautiful maidens in the fairytale books she used to read, the double topknots (a.k.a _piggy tails_ ) over her head are a silky black with the rest of her hair straight down to her waist. Izumi almost wishes she had been more girly, so that she would want to be just like her mother when she grows up. Maybe they'd have a lot more in common that way.

"Beautiful. You look just like…" her mother widens her smile, but it makes the situation worse. Awkward is what Izumi can use to describe it. Izumi smiles back brightly to lessen the tension. "Ok. Are you ready to head out?"

"Sure. But I coulda gotten there on my own, you know." Mother laughs.

So they're back in the tunnel, and it gets a bit lighter. Luminous. Like entering into the enchanted forest in the books of her favorite storyteller, Wu Jiao. She hears murmuring. Grandma is laughing. Father sounds like he is arguing with someone. As Izumi listens more, she blinks at the silky voice that responds to his rushed comment. Her father never lets anyone pull his strings, and she is glad to witness the only person who can make him boil in anger and frustration.

The dining room in the Royal Palace is not small one. There are three, and this room was built especially for guests coming into the palace. It is also the ideal place to hold fifty people. Mother holds on to her hand, and Izumi is glad for it.

They do not notice her coming until Aunt Kiyi spots her. She doesn't rush to hug her like she always does. Izumi frowns at the way the woman smiles at her and looks away quickly. One by one, her father, grandmother and aunt turn their gazes onto her. Somehow, Izumi begins to realize that it isn't just the guest they are entertaining. It's almost like they have been waiting for her too arrive.

"What a surprise, I didn't expect you to come here all dolled up, Mai,"

"Can it, Azula."

Her mother sounds a lot different. So different that Izumi gives her a look. Mother gently lets go of her hand and pushes her forward to the owner of the voice.

Aunt Azula is the younger spitting image of her grandmother, seated not too far away with a cup of tea in her hands. Her face is not as powdered as the other women, but Izumi likes the way the minimal use frames her aunt's sharp features and painted red lips.

Aunt Azula is clad in heavy armor that almost looks like second skin, all black and gold, gleaming under the light. She is everything that Izumi expects, having heard of her from the mouths of the palace mongers and tutors who teach her the history of the Hundred Years War. Tall as her father, with golden eyes like a fire hawk, Aunt Azula looks like a woman who did take down the entire city of Ba Sing Se.

Her father comes forward to pull her over. He tells her mother to smile a bit more but her mother tells him to be careful or else she'll stab him. They honestly try to be real quiet but Izumi always hears them. Izumi looks down just as she stands right in front of her aunt, shifting her feet. Not once does her aunt look into her face, but the woman holds her hands and pulls her until she is in the crook of her warm embrace, scented sweet firelily with a tinge of jasmine.

Everyone is talking over her, as though they have not seen her. While her parents are bickering, her grandmother is telling Aunt Azula about how hot the weather is and perfect for a stroll tomorrow. Aunt Kiyi is seated next to Grandma but hasn't said a word.

"Ty-Lee will be coming tomorrow to see Izumi, then we'll go on a trip to the market," Aunt Azula says while keeping her arms around Izumi.

That's sounds wonderful," Grandma says.

Aunt Kiyi says, "I'd love to go. If only my most favorite sister in the entire world let me tag along."

Aunt Azula gives her a withering glare, "Oh good. That way we'd use you-"

"Now, now girls. Let's all be cordial." Grandma says.

" _Why are you always difficult?!"_

" _Because I can."_

Izumi doesn't pay attention to her father's waving hands and her mother's eye rolling. She is staring off at the tapestry hanging over them. It is the image of her as a baby holding a beach ball in her hands. The woman holding the infant looks like she's trying not to laugh. Izumi always thought it was her mom holding her, but her mother would never go without her piggy tails.

It's definitely not Aunt Kiyi either…

 _Oh!_ It's Aunt Azula holding her, but why would she take a picture with her if Izumi's sure that they never met? The voices around her wane down, and she feels the back of her hair stand up.

She slowly looks up.

Aunt Azula is watching her quietly. It isn't uncomfortable. At that moment, Izumi almost saw a grin trying to break out. She is saying something, but Izumi doesn't hear.

"Huh?"

"I asked how old you are," Aunt Azula says. Izumi raises all five fingers on her right hand.

The elder woman begins to clip off the golden hairpiece atop Izumi's head. Just as her mother is approaching them, Aunt Azula complains about how tight the topknot is. Izumi feels her head cooling as her elder aunt removes the piece and begins to detangle her hair with her hand.

"Are you alright? Would you like to eat something?" Aunt Azula asks with that intense look again, continue to finger comb Izumi's hair.

Izumi nods, "Komodo dragon sausage."

She doesn't get why her family begins laughing, including her father who is now few feet away from her mother. Grandma covers her mouth to laugh while Aunt Kiyi gives her a small wink. Mother sends her a small smirk. Izumi is just always very specific about what she eats, and why should eating Komodo dragon sausage be funny?!

Her question never answered, Izumi decides to get whatever pampering her aunt gives her and listens to her family chatter amongst themselves. Aunt Kiyi looks more relaxed and even sets out to get the cook to finish the meal. Not too long later, everyone found their place around the top of the hundred feet table with mountains of food up top. Everything Izumi dreams of each time she wakes up to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Her aunt makes sure they are right next to each other. Throughout the night, she keeps asking Izumi if she is alright, or if she wants more to eat. But Izumi lets her know that she's fine. Still, her elder aunt keeps watching her every move now and then.

* * *

III

Xifeng does not flinch when she turns a corner and finds Princess Azula standing in front of a portrait in a simple tunic and pants. It is late in the night, after the big feast everyone partook in. The dimly lit corridor flickers as flames atop torches waver.

More of the Firelord's allies had been invited to meet the princess, who was swamped with them asking her about her travels. Xifeng made a short visit to assure that Izumi was well rested, pleased to find that she bombarded her mother with questions. Not that sham of a mother, her _real_ mother.

Xifeng bows gracefully, despite the tray of tea on her hands. "There's no need for that now, Xifeng. Azula looks at her. "I'm pleased that you've taken good care of my daughter."

"The Dai Li will always serve you, your majesty," Xifeng says with a proud smile. "And if you'd like to dethrone your brother, we will be ready to help accordingly."

Princess Azula laughs, "We both know that he's done a better job than I ever could." She then sighs, stepping back from look at the tapestry. "Good night Xifeng, and thank you…for everything. I am forever grateful to you."

"It is my honor to serve you," Xifeng replies.

As the back of the princess disappears down the corridor, Xifeng decides to look at the tapestry. A three year old Izumi grins back at her with her hand on her hip. She remembers this day because the photographer had been asking Izumi to stand still, and when Izumi clearly did not listen, he growled in defeat and took an onslaught of pictures.

Izumi's poses encouraged most noblemen who visited the palace to witness the lovely portrait allow their children do whatever they pleased in their photos. After all, this isn't a time where everyone had to hide their feelings anymore. This is a peaceful time, the right time for Izumi to thrive and enjoy life, as every child should do.

Xifeng recalls memory of Azula in rags, sitting in the middle of her old bedroom with a two week old being rocked back to sleep because the infant somehow knew that her mother was leaving her. Xifeng had been fifteen, with a dirtied brown shift and matted hair on the day she came to the palace. They walked from the slums of Ba Sing Se to board a human trafficking boat at the tip of the Upper Ring. They fought their way out of the boat because the captain had been eyeing Azula, and hopped on a cart led by an elderly man to Fountain City before walking to Capital City.

Miraculously, Izumi was born a day after they settled in the palace. It took only an hour after the birth for Princess Azula to decide the unnamed baby's fate.

Izumi's portrait is a far cry from her mother's silent ink painting. Most times, Xifeng thanks the gods that Izumi has never spoken to Ozai, even while he requested to speak to her several times before his death. Princess Azula demanded for Izumi to never set eyes on him.

Xifeng sighs. On most days, she thanks the gods that Izumi happened. If it were not for the child, Princess Azula would still continue living and making the worst of mistakes. Izumi is their beautiful accident, born of a drug lord and a Fire Princess, and unmarred by her tragic heritage.

The nursemaid only hopes that Izumi turns out right, just like they all want for her.


End file.
